Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Jelly Donuts)
Sufganiyot are round jelly doughnuts fried in oil and dusted with powdered sugar, the favorite Hanukkah treat in Israel. This home recipe makes about 14: a soft yeast dough, two rises, a quick fry at 350°F, then a jam filling piped into each one. Plan on about three hours, mostly hands‑off rising time.
Ingredients
- ●1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- ●2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry or instant yeast
- ●1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- ●3 1/2 cups (about 440 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- ●1/2 tsp salt
- ●2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ●1 tsp vanilla extract
- ●4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ●About 2 quarts neutral oil (canola, vegetable or peanut), for frying
- ●3/4 cup smooth strawberry or raspberry jam
- ●1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- 1Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm milk. Let it stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- 2In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar and the salt. Add the milk mixture, eggs and vanilla and mix into a shaggy dough.
- 3Knead about 5 minutes, then work in the butter a piece at a time. Keep kneading 5 to 8 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, soft and only slightly tacky.
- 4Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- 5Press the dough down and roll it 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured counter. Cut 2 1/2-inch rounds, reroll the scraps once, and set each round on its own small square of parchment on a floured baking sheet.
- 6Cover loosely and let the rounds rise 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. A gently pressed dent should spring back slowly.
- 7Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Use a thermometer and hold the oil between 350°F and 360°F the whole time.
- 8Slide 3 or 4 rounds into the oil, parchment side up, and pull the paper off with tongs. Fry about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden.
- 9Lift them onto a wire rack. Break the first doughnut open to check that the center is cooked through, and adjust the heat or timing before frying the rest.
- 10When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, poke a hole in the side of each with a skewer or chopstick and wiggle it to open a pocket.
- 11Spoon the jam into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe about 2 teaspoons into each doughnut, stopping when you see jam at the opening.
- 12Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving.
Keep a thermometer in the oil. Below 350°F the doughnuts soak up oil and turn greasy; much hotter and the outside browns before the middle cooks.
More Tips
- ●Fry a few at a time and let the oil climb back to 350°F between batches. Crowding the pot drops the temperature fast.
- ●Do not over-proof the cut rounds. Dough that rises too long can collapse in the oil and absorb more of it.
- ●Smooth jam pipes best. Whisk lumpy jam until loose, or push seeded jam through a strainer so it does not clog the tip.
- ●No piping bag? A zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off works.
- ●Sufganiyot are best the day they are fried. Fill and dust them close to serving so the sugar stays white and the outside stays crisp.
What Are Sufganiyot?
A sufganiyah (plural sufganiyot) is a round yeast doughnut, fried, filled with jam and finished with powdered sugar. The Hebrew name comes from Talmudic words for a spongy dough. Like potato latkes, they are fried on purpose: Hanukkah recalls the small jar of Temple oil that burned for eight days, so cooking in oil puts the miracle on the plate. The full story is in our Hanukkah guide.
The jelly doughnut reached Hanukkah by way of Poland, where Jews fried jam doughnuts like the Polish pączki, called ponchiki, in schmaltz instead of lard to keep them kosher. Polish Jewish immigrants carried the recipe and the Hanukkah custom to pre-state Israel. Israel's Histadrut labor federation later promoted bakery sufganiyot, since weeks of doughnut sales meant weeks of work for bakers, and today they are the most popular Hanukkah food in Israel.
For the rest of the menu, from the applesauce versus sour cream debate to brisket and gelt, see our Hanukkah food guide.
Common Questions
Can you make sufganiyot ahead of time?
Partly. You can let the dough rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight, then roll, cut, proof and fry the next day. The fried doughnuts are best within a few hours, so fill them and dust them with powdered sugar right before serving.
Can you bake sufganiyot instead of frying them?
You can bake the cut rounds, but the result is a soft jam-filled bun, not a doughnut with a crisp golden shell. Frying in oil is also the point of the dish, since Hanukkah foods recall the oil that burned for eight days.
What jam is traditional in sufganiyot?
Plain red jam, usually strawberry and sometimes raspberry, is the classic filling. Israeli bakeries now sell sufganiyot filled with dulce de leche, chocolate, custard and much more, so use whatever your family likes.
What oil is best for frying sufganiyot?
Use a neutral oil that handles high heat, such as canola, vegetable or peanut oil. You need enough for 2 to 3 inches in a heavy pot, which helps the oil hold a steady 350°F to 360°F.
Why are my sufganiyot greasy or raw in the middle?
Both come down to oil temperature. Oil that is too cool makes greasy doughnuts, and oil that is too hot browns the outside before the middle cooks. Use a thermometer, fry a few at a time, and test the first one before frying the rest.